Online voting now open for Verizon’s ‘How Sweet the Sound’ competition

Published 7:00 pm, Saturday, July 31, 2010

Now music fans from Houston can cast their votes for their favorite church choir from the Houston-area to advance to the 2010 regional Verizon’s “How Sweet the Sound” competition. By voting online at www.HowSweetTheSound.com their voices can be heard in America’s premiere gospel singing competition. Up to eight choirs from the Houston-area who receive the most online votes will perform at the regional event, which will take place at Toyota Center on Thursday, Sept. 9, and will compete in front of Gospel legends and judges for the title of best church choir in Houston and up to $16,000 in cash and prizes.

The winning choir from the regional competition will also have an opportunity to represent Houston in Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound grand finale event. Online voting for all 14 cities is open for two weeks through Aug. 1. Tickets to Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound at Toyota Center are on sale now. Floor and lower-tier seats are $7, and upper-tier seats are available for $5. For more information on purchasing tickets, visit www.HowSweetTheSound.com or visit the Web site for Toyota Center at www.houstontoyotacenter.com.

“I am thrilled to co-host the 2010 Verizon How Sweet The Sound competition. Gospel music is the foundation of American popular music and is a celebration of community. Gospel is part of my soul and I look forward to experiencing it with you,” said CeCe Winans.

“This event has become the marquee event in the Gospel community, and we are proud to be able to share it with our customers and the community,” said Marquett Smith, vice president — corporate communications, Verizon Wireless. “Verizon’s How Sweet The Sound is just one program of a much larger community effort for Verizon.”

After reviewing all of the audition tapes submitted by church choirs around Houston, the top church choirs were selected by a panel of judges including composer V Michael McKay and radio personality Larry Jones to compete in the online portion of the competition:

Few Voices Category

Agape Christian Fellowship - Tribe Of Judah Choir (Arlington, TX)

Bethel Tabernacle Choir (Houston, TX)

Bethel Temple Pentecostal Church Mass Choir (Dallas, TX)

Bible Days Church Choir (Houston, TX)

Christ Church Chorale (Houston, TX)

Heaven Bound (Spring, TX)

Saints In Praise (Houston, TX)

Unlimited Praise (DeSoto, TX)

Many Voice Category

Greater Sweethome Mass Choir (Forest Hill, TX)

McGee Chapel Choir (Houston, TX)

Royalwood Sanctuary Choir (Houston, TX)

SUMBC Mass Choir (Houston, TX)

True Vision Magnification Choir (San Antonio, TX)

Voices of Faith (Pearland, TX)

Details about How Sweet the Sound, including schedules, online voting, judging criteria and the official event rules is available online at www.HowSweetTheSound.com.